April 2017 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-120 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joe Spier 30 Apr '17

30 Apr '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-120 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * RadFxSat(Fox-1B) Passes Mission Readiness Review * AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers * HamRadioNow: Look! Up in the Sky! * AMSAT-UK test ESEO payload command uplink * ARSATC Satellite Special Events Station From Brazil * ISS Commander Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, Sets New US Record for Time in Space * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-120.01 ANS-120 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 120.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE April 30, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-120.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- RadFxSat(Fox-1B) Passes Mission Readiness Review The RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Mission Readiness Review was held Saturday morning, April 29th, at the Cal Poly campus in front of a board representing Tyvak, Cal Poly, and NASA. The purpose of the review is to verify that all requirements are met for a safe and successful launch and deployment. I presented 81 powerpoint slides covering all of the ICD (Interface Control Document) requirements, mission, operations, and deorbit. At the conclusion of the presentation including questions answers, the panel unanimously approved RadFxSat as ready for flight. The next milestone will be integration into the P-POD with launch scheduled NET (No Earlier than) September 23, 2017 aboard a Delta II at Vandenberg AFB. [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice-President Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers The Dayton Hamvention is less than three weeks away! It is time to be creating your shopping list and making your travel plans. Last year, we had 45 people assist with the AMSAT booth at Dayton. We've had a good response so far to our call for volunteers, but we could really use another 10-15 people. The 2017 Hamvention is May 19-21 in Xenia, Ohio. Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year? The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun. Meet or renew acquaintances, exchange operating tips, and find out what antennas, software and equipment other AMSAT members use. We currently expect most of the AMSAT senior officers and board members to be there too. If you're an experienced operator, great! We can use you and your experience. If you've never operated a satellite before, but want to learn more, that's OK. We can use your help too. Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send an e-mail to Steve, n9ip(a)amsat.org if you can help. Thank you! [ANS thanks Steve Belter, N9IP, Hamvention 2017 Team Leader for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- HamRadioNow: Look! Up in the Sky! The bulk of this episode is an on-location interview with two Raleigh NC area hams who gave a couple of live demonstrations of operating through satellites at the Raleigh Hamfest, April 15, 2017. There’s some banter between hosts David Goldenberg W0DHG and Gary Pearce KN4AQ back in the studio. And toward the end Gary announces a Viewer Challenge that we’ll detail down below. The satellite hams are John Brier KG4AKV and Tucker McGuire W4FS. At 18 years old, Tucker is a relatively new ham who first started operating satellites last summer, and quickly jumped into the deep end. John’s been around longer, but ham radio satellites and space operation captured his focus, too. He produces videos about it on his YouTube channel, Space Comms. Gary talked to John and Tucker after they completed their second demo, and he edited a little of each demo into the interview. There’s video of all of both demonstrations on YouTube. John shot himself operating through ‘Saudi-Sat’ SO-50, a “Mode J” FM crossband repeater (145.850 MHz uplink and 436.795 MHz downlink). John used three cameras (including a GoPro on a headband for a unique view). Gary edited the video and put it on the HamRadioNow YouTube channel as an extra bit if video. Gary added two more cameras to the mix to shoot Tucker operating through FO-29, a Japanese satellite that uses a 100 kHz wide ‘linear transponder’ for mostly SSB and CW (and NO FM, please) between two meters and 70 cm. There’s a few minutes of that demo in this episode, and the whole thing is on John’s Space Comms channel. Watch HRN 316: Look! Up in the Sky! Ham Radio Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKZ73sRdAAw Space Comms http://youtube.com/SpaceComms1 KG4AKV’s SO-50 FM operation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dhJsfh6fYA W4FS’s FO-29 SSB operation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEvsKN9ZSyw John KG4AKV https://twitter.com/johnbrier Tucker W4FS https://twitter.com/Whiskey4FoSho [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and HamRadio Now for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-UK test ESEO payload command uplink AMSAT-UK are providing an amateur radio 1260/145 MHz FM transponder and a 145 MHz BPSK telemetry beacon for the European Student Earth Orbiter (ESEO) satellite. Over the weekend of April 22-23, 2017, AMSAT-UK members met at the Surrey Space Center to conduct some final testing of the command uplink on the Engineering Model of their payload which will launch on the European Space Agency ESEO mission. The payload, which will transmit 1k2 and 4k8 BPSK telemetry on 145.895 MHz, was set up in the Arthur C Clarke building, with the AMSAT-UK team sending commands on L-band (1260 MHz) from some distance away in the university grounds. A large string of attenuators simulated the path loss to low Earth orbit, while the VHF telemetry confirmed the level of signal received at the ‘spacecraft antenna’ and that the commands had been executed correctly. With the lab and range testing declared a success, work now begins on constructing the Flight Model hardware. This is due for delivery by the middle of the summer so that it can be integrated into the 50 kg microsat. ESEO is expected to be launched late this year or in the first quarter of 2018. ESEO satellite https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/eseo/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARSATC Satellite Special Events Station From Brazil In celebration of its two-year anniversary, the ARSATC group will activate the ZV8AR, ZZ3SA, and ZZ9TC stations. Radio amateurs from Brazil and other countries who confirm contact with ARSATC special stations, in which the suffixes of each special call will form the word ARSATC, will be entitled to a commemorative certificate alluding to the event. Between May 1 and 30, 2017, the special calls will be activated on the SO-50, AO-85, FO-29, AO-73, AO-7 and Lapan -02 satellites. The confirmation will be through the Eqsl, Lotw or QRZ and sent to the email: qsl(a)arsatc.org Prepare your antennas for good contacts. http://arsatc.org/ (in Portuguese, use google translate) [ANS thanks Valdir Lima and arsatc.org for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS Commander Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, Sets New US Record for Time in Space Current International Space Station (ISS) Commander Peggy Whitson, ex-KC5ZTD, this week broke the record for cumulative time spent in space by a US astronaut. President Donald Trump -- with daughter Ivanka Trump and astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, joining him in the Oval Office -- called Whitson on April 24 to congratulate her on her accomplishment. With Whitson for the call on board the ISS was astronaut Jack Fischer, KG5FYH, who arrived on April 20 for his first mission aboard ISS. "Peggy is a phenomenal role model for young women, and all Americans, who are exploring or participating in STEM education programs and careers," President Trump said. "When I signed the INSPIRE Women Act in February, I did so to ensure more women have access to STEM education and careers, and to ensure America continues to benefit from the contributions of trailblazers like Peggy." Whitson tweeted back, "Thank you, Mr. President, for the great opportunity to highlight the research we are doing up here aboard the space station and beyond!" Last November, Whitson, 57, launched to the ISS on her current mission, with 377 days in space already under her belt, and broke the 534 cumulative-day record in space held by Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ. Whitson became the first woman to command the space station in 2008, and on April 9, she became the first woman to command it twice. She also holds the record for most spacewalks by a female astronaut. "This is an inspirational record Peggy is setting today, and she would be the first to tell you this is a record that's absolutely made to be broken as we advance our knowledge and existence as both Americans and humans," said NASA acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot. This is Whitson's third long-duration stay on board the space station, and her mission was recently extended for another 3 months. Instead of returning to Earth in June as originally planned, Whitson will remain on the ISS until September, returning home with Fischer and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI. Whitson first served aboard the ISS in 2002 as part of the Expedition 5 crew, was the Expedition 16 commander some 5 years later, and has conducted numerous Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts with students on Earth. Whitson has since let her Amateur Radio license lapse. [ANS thanks the ARRL and NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Cochise Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Matanuska Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Wasilla AK *19-21 May 2017, HamVention in the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Dayton, Ohio *Friday and Saturday, 9-10 June 2017, HAM-COM in Irving TX *Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Prescott Hamfest in Prescott AZ *Tuesday, 20 June 2017 – presentation for Superstition Amateur Radio Club in Mesa AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * A direct contact via SX2ISS with 14th Elementary School Katerini, Greece The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut wais Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Contact was successful: Sat 2017-04-29 12:02:10 UTC 69 deg * A direct contact with Orel, Russia The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut was Oleg Novitskiy Contact was successful: Sat 2017-04-29 06:05 UTC * Lycée Hélène Boucher, Thionville, France, direct via F8KGY The ISS callsign was scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact was successful: Thu 2017-04-27 08:52:17 UTC 83 deg * A direct contact via W6SRJ with students at Brook Haven School in Sebastipol, CA, USA was successful Wed 2017-04-19 18:40:43 UTC 82 deg. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG, answered 19 prepared questions for students. Video of Contact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOY45DnmT8M * A direct contact via F6KCO with students from College Roger Martin Du Gard, Bellême, France was successful Fri 2017-04-14 15:20:44 UTC Students in grades 7-10 took part in an ARISS contact with Thomas Pesquet who answered 20 questions from the physics class. An audience of 200 watched. Academic regional representatives were also present. Video of Contact (In French): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuY0bE8unU8&feature=em-upload_owner ********************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ********************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. ********************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net ********************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 123 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Francesco IKØWGF with 119 ********************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-04-06 07:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1129. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1090. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS ********************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-04-04 06:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 ********************************************************************** Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy Exp. 51 on orbit Fyodor Yurchikhin Jack Fisher, K2FSH ********************************************************************** Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts from All Over Saint Barts satellite operation AI5P, N0KV, W0ZA and WD0E plan to operate from Pointe Milou, St. Barthelemy Island (IOTA NA-146/Grid Square FK87) from October 17 - 26. Operation will be on 80-10 meters (SSB/CW/RTTY) with satellite operation by WD0E. Conditions may largely limit most activity to 20 meters and down. Operating 160 meters is being considered; however, no antenna option is yet finalized. Satellite operation will take place on several satellites. A satellite and pass schedule will be announced on the AMSAT-bb in advance. Equipment includes three Elecraft K3's and two 500 watt Elecraft amps. Antennas include a SteppIR crank IR vertical for 80-10 meters, a folding hexbeam by Folding Antennas (Germany) on 20-10 meters, LPDA's on 20 and 17 meters and verticals on 30 and 40 meters. Operation will be as continuous as conditions warrant. The Colorado operators have decided to use FJ/N0KV as their callsign while AI5P will be active as FJ/AI5P. FJ/N0KV logs will be updated to LOTW while Rick's logs (FJ/AI5P) will not since he continues to be an analog guy with an actual key and pen/paper log. Paper QSLs will be available from both N0KV and AI5P direct and via the bureau. US addressees send SASE; addressees outside the US should send SAE plus $2 for return postage. Use of Club Log is not anticipated. Further information will be published as the trip approaches. [ANS thanks Jim White, WD0E for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-113 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 23 Apr '17

23 Apr '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-113 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * Guatemala Satellite Operation Planned 24-27 April * GS3PYE/P Camb-Hams on Islay Island Includes Satellite Operation * 2017 CSVHFS Conference -- Call for Papers, Presentations & Posters * Satellite Operation Planned for Armed Forces Day - W2GSB SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-113.01 ANS-113 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 113.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE April 23, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-113.01 Guatemala Satellite Operation Planned 24-27 April David Maciel, XE3DX, announced that from 24-27 April he will make a trip to Guatemala which will include grids EK43,EK45, EK54, EK55 and EK56. David will be using the following calls: TG4/XE3DX EK43 TG5/XE3DX EK45 TG6/XE3DX EK54 TG7/XE3DX EK55 TG7/XE3DX EK56 You can also follow David's activity or details in his twitter account @ xe3dx [ANS thanks David, XE3DX, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- GS3PYE/P Camb-Hams on Islay Island Includes Satellite Operation Members of the Camb-Hams will once again be active as GS3PYE/P, but this time from Islay Island between May 6-12th. The Camb- Hams have been activating the Scottish Isles each year since 2008. As in the past, ten or more operators will be active on all bands and many modes from 4m to 80m, 2m & 70cm for Satellites and 2m & 23cm for EME. The HF bands will be covered by four simultaneous stations while the 6m & 4m stations will have a great take-off towards the UK and Europe. All stations will be able to run at the full UK power limit. EME operations will use 150W to 55 elements on 23cm and 400W to 17 elements on 2m, primarily on JT65, but also available for CW skeds - if your station is big enough. Satellite operations on 2m & 70cm will use X-Quad antennas and a fully automatic Az/El tracking system. Activity is planned on AO-7 (mode B), FO-29, SO-50, AO-85 & AO-73. All the up-to-date plans and progress will be on-line at http://dx.camb-hams.com. Most importantly, this is a group of good friends doing what they enjoy, so please give them a call and enjoy the trip with them. Active on the major social networks before, during and after the trip, you can check on progress and interact with the operators via their blog on http://dx.camb-hams.com or through the Twitter, Facebook and YouTube links below: + dx.camb-hams.com + facebook.com/CambHams + twitter.com/g3pye + youtube.com/CambHams Please check on http://dx.camb-hams.com for details on how to arrange skeds on the more challenging bands, modes, VHF and EME. QSL via OQRS (info on QRZ.com) or M0VFC direct or via bureau. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1312 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017 CSVHFS Conference -- Call for Papers, Presentations & Posters The Central States VHF Society is soliciting papers, presentations, and posters/tabletop displays for the 51st annual Central States VHF Society Conference, to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 27–30 July, 2017 at the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel. Papers, presentations, and posters on all weak-signal VHF and above amateur radio topics are being sought. TOPIC AREAS SOLICITED Antennas including Modeling, Design, Arrays, and Control; Test Equipment including Homebrew, Commercial, and Measurement Techniques & Tips Construction of equipment such as Transmitters, Receivers, and Transporters Operating including Contesting, Roving, and DXpeditions RF power amps including Single and Multi-band Vacuum Tube, Solid-state, and TWTAs Propagation including Ducting, Sporadic E, Tropospheric, Meteor Scatter, etc Pre-amplifiers (low noise) Digital Modes WSJT, JT65, etc. Regulatory topics Moon Bounce Software-defined Radio (SDR) Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Topics such as FM, repeater, packet radio, etc., are generally considered outside of the scope of papers, presentations, and posters being sought. However, there are always exceptions. Please contact the point of contact below if you have any questions about the suitability of a particular topic. You do not need to attend the conference nor present your paper to have it published in the Proceedings. Posters will be displayed during the Conference. KEY DEADLINES: For papers to be included in the Proceedings: Monday, 12 June 2017 For Presentations to be given at the Conference: Friday, 30 June 2017 For Posters and Tabletops to be displayed at the Conference: Abstracts due by: Friday, 30 June 2017. Completed poster should be brought for setup at the Conference on 27 July. POINT OF CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS, ABSTRACTS, DELIVERY: Ed James KA8JMW email: ka8jmw(a)arrl.net Snail mail: 10 Trade Ct., Edgewood, NM 87105 FORMATTING AND DELIVERY: See Conference website (http://2017.csvhfs.org) for Proceedings, Presentation, and Posterboard formatting guidelines Submissions accepted via email, Dropbox, Google Drive, CD/DVD, USB stick/thumb drive, etc. CONFERENCE DETAILS: Visit the Conference website at http://2017.csvhfs.org, which is being populated with event details throughout the month of April. Online registration will open on or shortly after May 1. Additional conference details will be announced as opening of registration nears! In the meantime, please rally all of the VHF/UHF/Microwave hams you know in your area and across the country, mark your calendars for July 27-30, and plan to join us at the 2017 Central States VHF Society Conference in sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico. [ANS thanks Brian, N5ZGT, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Operation Planned for Armed Forces Day - W2GSB The Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club will operate a special event station W2GSB/APM at the American Airpower Museum located at the historic Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY, May 20-21, 2017. This event commemorates Armed Forces weekend to honor our service men and women of the armed forces who have given so much. + SSB - 14.280 and 7.280 + CW - 14.055 and 7.055 + Satellite operation on available passes QSL - Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club P.O. Box 1356 West Babylon, NY 11704 Web page: http://www.gsbarc.org/events.htm [ANS thanks the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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ANS-106 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 15 Apr '17

15 Apr '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-106 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * Friday TAPR/AMSAT Banquet at Hamvention * Packet From The International Space Station Is Back On 145.825 MHz * AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers * Eldorado Space Program: The League of Extraordinary Space Cowboys * N7S Special Event Station Commemorates First Shuttle Launch * Live HAMTV France April 25-28 * IARU Frequency Coordination Announcement for PicSat * Australian university students to launch satellite in 2018 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-106.01 ANS-106 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 106.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. April 16, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-106.01 Friday TAPR/AMSAT Banquet at Hamvention The eleventh annual joint TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held on Friday evening, May 19th. This dinner is one of the main AMSAT activities during the Hamvention. Tickets ($35 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-TAPR-AMSAT-Tickets. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Tuesday, May 16th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. Different from previous years, this year there will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center. The Banquet will take place at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, Kettering, OH 45429 (just south of Dayton). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a cash bar with the buffet dinner served at 7:00 p.m. AMSAT and TAPR alternate the task of providing a speaker for the banquet. It is TAPR’s responsibility this year. Carl Laufer will discuss “The World of Low Cost Software Defined Radio.” Carl is the creator and author of the extremely popular RTL- SDR Blog, author of the book, “The Hobbyist Guide to RTL-SDR,” and supplier of the RTL-SDR dongle. The RTL-SDR dongle is a low-cost, receive-only SDR receiver that hobbyists around the world are using for a variety of radio receiver projects, and Carl blogs about them at http://www.rtl-sdr.com/. Seating is limited to the number of meals we reserve with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline. [ANS thanks AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Packet From The International Space Station Is Back On 145.825 MHz The ARISS Team (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) is pleased to announce that packet from the International Space Station (ISS) is once again on 145.825 MHz! ARISS did the foot work and paperwork a few months ago to launch the last back-up Ericsson VHF handheld radio to the ISS. This work was begun in October after the failure of the Ericsson unit that had been used on the ISS. The Ericssons have been operating on the ARISS for 16 years. In the last days of February, the SpaceX 10 launch vehicle, Dragon, flew to the ISS with the HT onboard. After the docking, ISS crew members had the odious job of unloading and unpacking 5,500 pounds of cargo, including the Ericsson HT. ARISS got word Friday morning that we now have VHF capability back in the Columbus module. Followers of ISS Fan Club have already posted that they've heard and used VHF packet, and are thrilled and happy to have it again! In 2015, ARISS began its first fundraising campaigns. ARISS relies on NASA, ARRL, AMSAT and many fine individual donors, along with ARISS volunteers, to maintain the day-to-day operations and cover those expenses along with all costs and work related to the hardware, and building a new radio system, including the expensive space certification tests. Donors can go to www.amsat.org and www.ariss.org to support the program that excites hams and young people and educators who are inspired by amateur radio on the ISS. About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl. Also, join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) . Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers Last year, we had about 50 people assist with the AMSAT booth at the Hamvention. It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2016 Dayton Hamvention a success for AMSAT. The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun. The 2016 Hamvention is May 19-21 in a new venue: the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year? Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send an e-mail to Steve, n9ip at amsat.org if you can help. [ANS thanks Steve N9IP for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Eldorado Space Program: The League of Extraordinary Space Cowboys The Eldorado High School with a total of 156 students in grades 9-12 has an Engineering Class with about 10 students. This STEM activity is mentored by Danny Ray Boyer, W5AHN. You can read about their activities at the following web sites: http://eldorado-space-cowboys.com/ and they are also on facebook: http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-SpaceCowboys The class is in the running for a $5,000 grant for their work in their Space Program. The grant will be awarded by popular vote by the San Angelo Area Foundation, Solar Cen Tex, and KIDY FOX San Angelo who are committed to funding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) innovation in the Concho Valley, Texas. Vote at the link below for your favorite video, and the 1st place winner will win $5000! 2nd place - $3000! 3rd place - $2000! http://www.myfoxzone.com/formula4thefuture Please share the link with your Ham friends and business & family acquaintances to see if you can get them some more votes? [ANS thanks Danny Ray Boyer, W5AHN, and the Eldorado Space Cowboys for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- N7S Special Event Station Commemorates First Shuttle Launch The KB7QPS Air, Space, and Technology special event station will operate from the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society club station located at Seattle's Boeing Field. Additional operators around the country may be utilizing their home station. N7S commemorates the first launch of the Space Shuttle. QRV between April 13 and 17. This is one in a series of activities for marking historic milestones in air and spacecraft technology. For a schedule of remaining Special Event Station operations and QSL information see: http://airspacetechnology.webs.com/ [ANS thanks the KB7QPS Special Event Station and the DXNL Newsletter #2036 Apr 12, 2017 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Live HAMTV France April 25-28 Daniel Cussen reported on the HamTV@yahoogroups list that there may be live HAMTV over France and Europe during the time period of April 25-28. The date of a school contact is not yet set but it will be a daytime pass. Audio may be on new VHF handheld not UHF. ARISS expects have more definite news late next week. HamVideo operational status aboard the ISS can be found at: http://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ Ham Video downlink frequencies: + 2369 MHz + 2395 MHz + 2422 MHz + 2437 MHz DVB-S modulation; Symbol rates: 1.3 Ms/s and 2.0 Ms/s FEC : 1/2; NTSC format (SIF: 352×240 or D1:720×480) [ANS thanks ARISS and Daniel Cussen for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- IARU Frequency Coordination Announcement for PicSat http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=536 PicSat from CNRS/LESIA - Observatoire de Paris has received IARU frequency coordination for their 3U CubeSat - Science mission: do a photometric survey of Beta Pic star to detect light variation, demonstrate feasibility of light injection in single mode fiber in space. A UHF 9k6 BPSK downlink using AX25. Amateur mission with FM transponder (VHF up, UHF down) Launch not yet finalised but may be a PSLV into a 520km SSO in Q2 2017. More info at http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-CoordinationPDF ** 435.525 MHZ has been coordinated for the downlink** ** Now planning a launch on PSLV C39 in September 2017** [ANS thanks the IARU for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian university students to launch satellite in 2018 Students at the University of Melbourne are well advanced on a program to build a nano-satellite, with the Wireless Institute of Australia assisting in the IARU frequency and other coordination processes. Through the Melbourne Space Program (MSP) affiliated with the University of Melbourne, all is moving ahead for a hand-over of the nano-satellite in November and a launch as early as January 2018. Funding comes from the University of Melbourne, while the Melbourne Space Program is an organisation that holds the licensing, and other matters related to the launch. In a media release, the MSP revealed that plans are well under way with rideshare provider SpaceFlight with a contract signed for a November hand-off and its launch as early as January 2018. It has involved a group of ambitious students, seeking to understand and help redefine the Australian space sector through innovation in education, economics and policy, as well as engineering. Australia is the only Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nation without a space agency. In 1966, University of Melbourne students built Australia's first satellite that was launched in 1970 as Australis Oscar 5 to be tracked by 200 radio amateurs in 27 different countries. The Melbourne Space Program has about 70 active members who are students ranging from 1st year university to masters level and post- graduate. The key objectives include being the first students to launch an Australian nano-satellite, create education, research in space, collaborate with academia and industry, and promote gender parity in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and Arts disciplines. Work was continuing to launch Australia's first nano-satellite and more news is expected in coming months. (Fred Swainston VK3DAC/VK4FE, WIA STEM Coordinator) Aussies tracking satellite Students of the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany will launch the COMPASS 2 cube-sat in May and are at looking for a possible ground station partner in Australia. WIA Director Fred Swainston VK3DAC/VK4FE, WIA STEM Coordinator says the International Space Station Crew Fund Scholarship winner for 2017, Ian Benecken has asked the Wireless Institute of Australia for help to track it. COMPASS 2 is to be launched from a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle by the Indian Space Research Organisation carrying other commercial satellites. >From a polar 600 kilometre high orbit the cube-sat will beacon once a minute the callsign of ON04DL (ON zero four DL) on 437.300 MHz. The unique location of Australia makes it ideal for partner ground stations, and already it has piqued an interest from the ARISS telebridge centres on VK4, VK5 and VK6. Soon to be published is software that anyone can use to decode the beacon signal and the launch is likely to be on the 1st or 2nd week of May. If you wish to contact Ian Benecken, their email address is: ian.benecken at alumni.fh-aachen.de [ANS thanks the VK1WIA News for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between College Roger Martin Du Gard, Bellême, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign FXØISS. The contact began Fri 2017-04-14 15:20:44 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via F6KCO. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule + Brook Haven School, Sebastopol, CA, direct via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-04-19 18:40:43 UTC ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n at amsat.org or aj9n at aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS ******* The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-04-04 06:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 ******* Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Apollo 11 Capsule Going On Road Trip To accommodate the Smithsonian renovation of its gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the Cpsule will vidit four US cities. The four city tour will include Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburg and Seattle as part of the a new exhibit: "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission". For more information visit: https://apnews.com/b04812315fd44be79b1d7c85f76b0d0b [ANS thanks Associated Press for the above information] + --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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ANS-099 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joe Spier 09 Apr '17

09 Apr '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-099 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * AMSAT March/April 2017 Apogee View Published on AMSAT.org * AMSAT Orbital Data Request to Re-Distribute KEPs Approved 2017-2018 * March/April AMSAT Journal Sent to Printer * Satellite DX Opportunity 09 April Yuru Gagarin Cup Contest * New Hardware and Software Release for HamTV Reception from ISS * K6G in DM02 * Announcement of the 9th European CubeSat Symposium, 11/29-12/01, 2017 * VUCC Awards/Endorsements for March 2017 * Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Closes April 15 * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-099.01 ANS-099 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 099.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE April 9, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-099.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT March/April 2017 Apogee View Published on AMSAT.org The March/April 2017 edition of Apogee View, a comprehensive bimonthly update of AMSAT's activities written by AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, is now available on the AMSAT website at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=5850 Topics covered in this edition include: -Fox-1Cliff/Fox-1D News -Hamvention -Strategic Planning [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Secretary for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Orbital Data Request to Re-Distribute KEPs Approved 2017-2018 I am pleased to announce that AMSAT's request to re-distribute AFSPC Keplerian elements from SpaceTrack has been approved for the period April 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018. Our USSTRATCOM ODR (Orbital Data Request) to distribute the KEPs was approved on April 4, 2017. Thanks to AFSPC, Perry Klein, W3PK and Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P for their help in this process. AMSAT Keps updates are "good to go" for another year. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- March/April AMSAT Journal Sent to Printer The March/April 2017 issue of The AMSAT Journal has been sent to the printer and should begin arriving in members' mailboxes shortly. In this issue: *AMSAT Announcement *Apogee View Barry Baines, WD4ASW *Engineering Update Jerry Buxton, N0JY *Designing and Operating a Portable Satellite Station in an Urban Environment Paul Stoetzer, N8HM *Adaptive Coding and Modulation for Phase 4 Ground Michelle Thompson, W5NYV *Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, Named 2017 Dayton Hamvention Amateur of the Year *Field Day 2017 Bruce Paige, KK5DO *Designing a Ground Station for P4 and P5 Satellites John P. Toscano, W0JT/5 *Building a Microwave Transceiver: The Path to My Own Five-and-Dime Ground Station Jonathan Brandenburg, KF5IDY *QSL Delta Mike Three Four Faith Hannah Lea, PJ6/AE4FH *DIY Arduino Based Satellite Tracking Pointer Jonathan Stockman, KC2THY *On the Grids: Churchill MB EO23 Melvin C. Vye, W8MV [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Secretary for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite DX Oportunity 09 April Yuru Gagarin Cup Contest The contest is dedicated to the memory of Yuri Gagarin, who realized the first human flight to space, on April 12, 1961. RULES 1. Date: from 21.00 UTC on April 08th till 21.00 UTC on April 09th, 2017. Stations of categories A, B, D, E and F may operate 20 of the 24 hours. Off times must be a minimum of 60 minutes during which no QSO is logged. 2. Bands: 1.8, 3.5, 7.0, 14, 21, 28 MHz and radio amateur satellites. 3. Modes: CW only. 4. Contest Call: <CQ GC> (CQ Gagarin Cup). 5. Categories: A Single operator - Single band. B Single operator - Multi bands. C Multi operators - Multi bands, single transmitter. D SWL - Multi bands. E Single operator - Multi bands, Low power. F Single operator - Single band, Low power. SAT Single operator - satellite QSOs. S Special stations: callsign with ..56GC. During the contest: All multi-band categories may also utilize radio amateur satellites. These QSOs are counted as an additional band. Categorie C must remain on the same band for at least 5 minutes after the first QSO has been made. Categories A, B, C, E and F can make only one QSO with the same station on that band. The participants of A and F groups can make QSO outside of offset on other bands. Radiostations of group C and S are authorized simultaneous QSO through satellites. 6. Exchange: RST and ITU zone number. 7. QSO points: QSO with own <P-150-C> country count 2 points. QSO with a different <P-150-C> country in the same continent - 3 points. QSO with a different continent - 4 points. Satellite`s QSO - 100 poins. QSO points on: 1.8 MHz and 3.5MHz multiplied by 3; 7 MHz - 2; 14, 21 and 28 MHz - 1. For SWL: Complete logging of one station only the callsign of the second station count 1 point. Complete logging of both sides of a QSO - 3 points. The same callsign may be logged only 1 time on each band. 8. Multipliers: each different ITU zone, QSO with special stations (..55GC) worked on each band gives 1 point for multiplier. SWLs have no multipliers. 9. Final score: The total number of QSO points on all bands times the total number of multipliers worked on all bands. 10. Awards: The Special trophy will be awarded to the winner in the B, C, E & S categories. Different kind of medals will be awarded to the world's top three scoring stations in the A, B, C, E, SAT and S categories. Certificates will be awarded to top three and each country's winner in each category. Certificates will be awarded to all the Contest participants who log not less than 250 QSOs or 250 SWLs. 11. Logs: Electronic logs are to be sent via e-mail as the enclosure to the letter. File format - text of the operator's contest program but Cabrillo format will be much appreciated. In the field "subject" of your e-mail letter it is necessary to mention your callsign and category (for example - ra3aaa B). In the text of the letter it is necessary to show your final score calculation, rig and antennas data, as well as your comments and wishes. E-mail address: gc17(at)bk(dot)ru Upload contest log: http://ua9qcq.com/en/submit_log.php?lang=en The final date of logs sending - May 09, 2017. The results of <Gagarin Cup> are to the http://gc.qst.ru and http://www.qrz.ru/contest/ **** ***** ** ********** **** ************* *** ****** ************* QSO: 21010 CW 2004-03-20 1200 UA8AA 599 33 RL3A 599 29 QSO: 144 CW 2004-03-20 1210 UA8AA 599 33 RL3A 599 29 A. Single Op - Single Band START-OF-LOG: 3.0 CONTEST: GC CALLSIGN: UA8AA (???????? ???????) CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP CATEGORY-BAND: 15M CATEGORY-POWER: HIGH LOCATION: 29 CLUB: ABCC CREATED-BY: Soft v1.0 EMAIL: ua8aa(a)mail.ru NAME: ADDRESS: ADDRESS: OPERATORS: UA8AA OFFTIME: 2013-04-13 2100 2013-04-13 2159 OFFTIME: 2013-04-14 1800 2013-04-14 2059 SOAPBOX: TNX 73 QSO: 21010 CW 2004-03-20 1200 UA8AA 599 33 RL3A 599 29 END-OF-LOG: B. Single Op - Multi Band START-OF-LOG: 3.0 CONTEST: GC CALLSIGN: UA8AA CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP CATEGORY-BAND: ALL CATEGORY-POWER: HIGH LOCATION: 29 CLUB: ABCC CREATED-BY: Soft v1.0 EMAIL: ua8aa(a)mail.ru NAME: ADDRESS: ADDRESS: OPERATORS: UA8AA OFFTIME: 2013-04-13 2100 2013-04-13 2159 OFFTIME: 2013-04-14 1800 2013-04-14 2059 SOAPBOX: TNX 73 QSO: 21010 CW 2004-03-20 1200 UA8AA 599 33 RL3A 599 29 END-OF-LOG: C. Multi Op - Multi Band START-OF-LOG: 3.0 CONTEST: GC CALLSIGN: UA8XYZ CATEGORY-OPERATOR: MULTI-OP CATEGORY-BAND: ALL CATEGORY-POWER: HIGH LOCATION: 29 CLUB: ABCC CREATED-BY: Soft v1.0 EMAIL: ua8aa(a)mail.ru NAME: ADDRESS: ADDRESS: OPERATORS: UA8AA OPERATORS: UA8BA OPERATORS: UA8CA SOAPBOX: TNX 73 QSO: 21010 CW 2004-03-20 1200 UA8XYZ 599 33 RL3A 599 29 END-OF-LOG: Satelites QSO VO-52 - 432, FO-29 - 144. QSO: 144 CW 2012-04-15 1045 XX9X 599 31 YY9Y 599 34 QSO: 432 CW 2012-04-15 1045 XX9X 599 31 YY9Y 599 34 See http://gc.qst.ru/en/section/32 [ANS thanks Kerry LaDuke, and the GC Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- New Hardware and Software Release for HamTV Reception from ISS On board the ISS Columbus module, the HamVideo transmitter is fully operational and provides permanent DATV signals, allowing ground stations to fine tune their receiving equipment. When possible, ARISS school contacts are enhanced by crew operated HamTV. The demand for a dedicated HamTV receiver is growing. Jean-Pierre Courjaud F6DZP developed an up-to-date receiver and wrote special software for HamTV. He dubbed the receiver TuTiouner and the software. Tutioune (phonetic French transcript for “You tune”). Components for the TuTioune receiver are for sale at the BATC shop (British Amateur Television Club). See: https://batc.org.uk/shop/dtx1 The software is available for free at: http://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/minitiouner-software/ Full details, including schematics, are provided on the HamTV home page: http://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ Occasionally, the HamVideo transmitter must be powered down, for several reasons. The status of the transmitter is published on the amasat-on.be webpage. [ANS thanks Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, and ARISS-Europe for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- K6G in DM02 It is a pleasure to announce a real activation of the much sought after Delta Mike Zero Two. There seems to have been only two passes worked from here in the last 11 years, that is about to change. Activations of rare grids should be done with enough preparation to avoid missed passes. That said, I've invited two other ops to help assure our success and maximize linear transponder passes. Our special guests will be none other than Wyatt AC0RA and Gabe NJ7H. I am more than confident in their rover skill levels and ability to maintain a functional station. They have also proven to be capable of working through unforeseen equipment troubles. Typical precautions apply. If you have linear capabilities please work us on the transponders. Our FM only friends deserve a chance at scoring a rare grid and tying up the bird helps nobody. On linear please be cognizant of your power level. I know at least two of us will be using our regular portable stations that are 5 watts max, QRO stations on the transponder will make us difficult to hear. Also, please be aware of the footprint for other ops. Nothing good comes from a left coast station getting in the middle of us trying to work the right coast. All QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW as promptly as possible and paper will be sent to shore via torpedo. Last but not least, when is it going to happen? Due to various environmental aspects, firm departure and arrival times are not set in stone. However, we can say that it will be the weekend of April 28th. When you hear K6G you will know that 02 will be on. We will have plenty of time to work many passes and none of us are afraid to work any pass no matter how shallow it may be. I may continue normal ops leading up to departure to ensure my station performs as expected. [ANS thanks Mike Diehl, AI6GS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement of the 9th European CubeSat Symposium, 11/29-12/01, 2017 This year the 9th European CubeSat Symposium will take place in Belgium on November 29th-December 1st 2017 in co-location (same time, same place) with the European Space Weather Week. During the European Space Weather Week, the whole Space Weather community gathers to discuss new discoveries on space weather and space climate. This is the perfect occasion to foster the evolution of the CubeSats reality from a "University tool" to a "Science tool". As usual, we have tried to organize this Symposium giving importance to the most relevant topics in the CubeSat world, from Technology Demonstrators and Scientific Missions to the Future Technologies and the Space Exploration with CubeSats. In detail, the Symposium is covering the following topics: - Novel Scientific Instruments/Sensors on CubeSats - Propulsion Subsystems - Attitude Determination and Control Subsystems - Telecommunications, Ground Stations and Ground Station Networks - Orbital Dynamics (e.g. de-orbiting and debris mitigation) - CubeSat Constellations - Scientific Missions - Technology Demonstration on CubeSats (e.g. formation flying, intersatellite link, sails, tethers, etc) - Space Exploration Missions with CubeSat (i.e. beyond Earth orbit) - Launchers and Deployers for CubeSats - Future Technologies on CubeSats - CubeSat Flight Experience and Lessons Learned Renowned speakers from NASA and ESA will give talks on their perspectives on past and future development of CubeSats. Moreover, a special session of the Symposium is dedicated to the outcome of the QB50 mission (lessons learned and first scientific results). If you are interested in contributing to this event, please submit your abstract before June 26th 2017. Registrations and abstract submission are open. For more information on the venue, registration, deadlines, abstract guidelines, sponsorship and exhibitors, please visit the symposium website www.cubesatsymposium.eu As in the previous years the Symposium is open to the entire CubeSat community, so please feel free to disseminate this information further. [ANS thanks Dr. David Masutti and the Organizing Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards/Endorsements for March 2017 Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period March 1, 2017 through March 30, 2017. There was no update on March 31st. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! CALL GRIDS KO4MA 1510 W5PFG 990 N8HM 862 NP4JV 552 N6UK 372 KK4FEM 327 K5ND 225 AI6GS 175 NS3L 175 NJ7H 125 VE7CEW 103 (New VUCC) This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for March 1st and March 30th. It's a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! [ANS thanks John, K8YSE for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Closes April 15 Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window Closes April 15, 2017 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2017. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA and CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space). More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss(a)arrl.org. [ANS thanks ARISS-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday, 6 May 2017 – Cochise Amateur Radio Association hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ *19-21 May 2017, HamVention in the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Dayton, Ohio *Friday and Saturday, 9-10 June 2017, HAM-COM in Irving TX *Saturday, 10 June 2017 – Prescott Hamfest in Prescott AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * A telebridge contact via LU1CGB with students from the Brahma Kumaris Educational Society, Rajasthan, India was unsuccessful Mon. 2017-04-03 08:19:38 UTC 53 deg. ARISS is rescheduling the contact. * A direct contact with students at Tolyatti, Russia School was successful 2017-04-01 17:09 UTC with astronaut Sergey Ryzhikov. * A telebridge contact via IK1SLD with individuals from the Council of State Science Supervisors, Los Angeles, CA, was successful Wed. 2017-03-29 18:03:38 UTC 21 deg. with Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD. * A telebridge contact via W6SRJ with students at “School of Trois Paletuviers”, Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock, French Guyana, was successful Thu 2017-03-23 12:42:26 UTC 61 deg. Upcoming Contacts * College Roger Martin Du Gard, Bellême, France, direct via F6KCO The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-04-14 15:20:44 UTC 48 deg Roger Martin du Gard is a middle school in Bellême, France. Located in Normandy, in the heart of the regional natural park of le Perche, this village of approximately two thousand inhabitants sits on a hill dominating the Perche area. Roger Martin du Gard was constructed in the 1970s and was totally rebuilt on the same location in 1994. It got its name from Literature Nobel Prize, Roger Martin du Gard, a writer who lived the last part of his life nearby, in Le Château du Tertre. The number of students has been stable for the past four years, with about three hundred children in twelve different classes (3 in each level, from grades 7 through 10). It welcomes students from age 11 to 15. This school project, ARISS, aims at having the students succeed in their different education paths. The ARISS project is the one opportunity to show the students that being in a rural area does not limit their possibilities and their capacities to do things. It is a way to help them find a possible future in such an important field. Complementing their physics program, it also offers a magical moment to all the students in the school, while showing that working serves a real motivation. * A direct contact via W6SRJ with students at Brook Haven School in Sebastipol, CA is being planned for the week of April 17. More details will follow. ********************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ********************************************************************** All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ********************************************************************** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. ********************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net ********************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 123 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Francesco IKØWGF with 119 ********************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-04-06 07:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1129. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1090. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS ********************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-04-04 06:00 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_ correction.rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 ********************************************************************** Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy ********************************************************************** Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts from All Over amsat.org.ar online again Site amsat.org.ar had been recovered and is online again. Web available at http://amsat.org.ar Satellite Passes at http://amsat.org.ar/pass SAm Satellite logs http://lu7aa.org.ar/log.html Lusex Logs at http://lusex.org.ar Latest Keplerians http://lu7aa.org.ar/text/keps.txt WSPR PicoBalloon http://lu7aa.org.ar/wspr.asp Calculations at http://amsat.org.ar/calcule.html QSL Factory at http://lu7aa.org.ar/qsl.asp In Spanish: ENACOM Ham exams http://amsat.org.ar/examen/examen?p=n Amsat-LU Balloons http://amsat.org.ar/globo12.htm Balloon tracking http://lu7aa.org.ar/vor.asp LUSAT web site http://lusat.org.ar Local Weather Sats http://amsat.org.ar/wx South Am. Sat Award http://amsat.org.ar/certsat.html Users upload area http://amsat.org.ar/index.php [ANS thanks LU7AA, AMSAT Argentina for the above information] VP2E Anguilla Island Satellite Activation VP2E, ANGUILLA. Ira, KD4SLM, is now active as VP2EIH from "The Valley". The length of his stay is not known at this time. He was heard on the satellites which is rare from VP2E-land. Ira informed OPDX that he is "currently working on getting the Satellite station up and running" and "has been testing using a dis-cone omni-directional for both uplink & downlink". He states, "This isn't the best setup." Ira adds, "I'm also on HF and not a big DX or Contester . I'm available as Net control Fri 0600-0700 on 7.188 -- 'The friendly Net'. Sometimes I take up the 1830-1900 Thursday, Caribbean Wx net 3.815 MHz." His rig is a Yaesu FT-857 with 100 watts using a Off Center Fed home brewed wire antenna. The N.E leg is 40 ft. sloping down to center 30 ft. and S. Leg is 15 ft. into a nearby tree. He is also using MFJ tuner. QSL via his home callsign. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1311 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-092 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 01 Apr '17

01 Apr '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-092 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. In this edition: * ITF-2 Team Begins Normal Operations and Offers Awards * TAPR Announces SDR Presentations at Hamvention * California Students to Speak to NASA Astronauts on ISS * NASA Releases Searchable Image, Video, Audio Library * Free Tours of Facilities at NASA's Glenn Research Center SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-092.01 ANS-092 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 092.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE April 2, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-092.01 ITF-2 Team Begins Normal Operations and Offers Awards ITF-2 (YUI-2) entered normal operation phase on Mar 25th JST. Telemetry information and messages will be transmitted in this phase for the achievement of main mission. The details of the AWARD and SWL cards are as below, AWARD: With reference to the message on Jan 15th UTC, the First 100 Reports from overseas stations are qualified for this award. Only ten overseas stations sent report so far. Still enough award can be issued. Additionally, a souvenir, a sticky screen cleaner, will be given with this award. The design motif is the small antenna of ITF-2. Design of the cleaner: https://twitter.com/yui_tsukuba/status/841096655046758400 SWL cards: Five designs are prepared. The stations which report more than five times can receive all designs. Also, the specially designed card will be presented to the stations which received a signal from the small antenna, because the reports are valuable to demonstrate the antenna in space. So far, two stations succeeded in the reception. Designs of SWL cards: https://twitter.com/yui_tsukuba/status/846219342190555136 Further special events are planned for the promotion of receptions by more stations. There were some reception reports by very simple equipment, for example, Dipole or 5/8 wave length whip with USB tuner dongle (RTL2832). Reception reports can be submitted at: https://operationitf-2.blogspot.jp/p/blog-page_58.html Operation information of ITF-2: http://operationitf-2.blogspot.jp/ [ ANS thanks Atsushi, JI1OEH, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- TAPR Announces SDR Presentations at Hamvention TAPR Announces SDR Presentations at the Dayton Hamvention by Carl Laufer who is an electronics, software & radio enthusiast from New Zealand and operates the RTL-SDR.com blog specializing in news, projects & products related to ultra low cost software defined radio & the RTL-SDR dongle. TAPR Digital Forum - Introduction to RTL-SDR: Ultra cheap software defined radio Digital Modes Now and in the Future Forum - Introduction to low cost HF monitoring with RTL-SDR AMSAT/TAPR Joint Banquet - The world of low cost software defined radio http://www.tapr.org/dayton.html [ANS thanks TAPR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- California Students to Speak to NASA Astronauts on ISS Students from Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim, California, will speak with NASA astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station at 11:40 a.m. EDT Monday, April 3. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. (n.b. - this is not an ARISS contact via amateur radio) Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson, both of NASA, will answer questions from students in several grades. Students at Betsy Ross Elementary School have been hard at work exploring the space program, NASA and the space station leading up to the downlink. They have conducted research through virtual field trips while also designing realistic models of the space station. With each engaging activity, the students' knowledge of NASA and the space program has been greatly enhanced. Kimbrough launched to the space station Oct. 19, 2016, and will return April 10. Whitson launched to the space station Nov. 17, 2016, and is scheduled to return to Earth later this spring. Media interested in covering the event should contact Keith Sterling, director of communications & public information, Anaheim Elementary School District, at 714-600-0952 or ksterling(a)anaheimelementary.org. Ross Elementary is at 535 S. Walnut Street in Anaheim. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA Education's STEM on Station activity, which provides a variety of space station resources and opportunities to students and educators. Get NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information at: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv Learn about videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at: http://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- NASA Releases Searchable Image, Video, Audio Library NASA officially has launched a new resource to help the public search and download out-of-this-world images, videos and audio files by keyword and metadata searches from NASA.gov. The NASA Image and Video Library website consolidates imagery spread across more than 60 collections into one searchable location. https://images.nasa.gov NASA Image and Video Library allows users to search, discover and download a treasure trove of more than 140,000 NASA images, videos and audio files from across the agency’s many missions in aeronautics, astrophysics, Earth science, human spaceflight, and more. Users now can embed content in their own sites and choose from multiple resolutions to download. The website also displays the metadata associated with images. Users can browse the agency’s most recently uploaded files, as well as discover historic and the most popularly searched images, audio files and videos. Other features include: + Automatically scales the interface for mobile phones and tablets + Displays the EXIF/camera data that includes exposure, lens used, and other information, when available from the original image + Allows for easy public access to high resolution files + All video includes a downloadable caption file NASA Image and Video Library’s Application Programmers Interface (API) allows automation of imagery uploads for NASA, and gives members of the public the ability to embed content in their own sites and applications. This public site runs on NASA’s cloud native “infrastructure-as-a-code” technology enabling on-demand use in the cloud. The library is not comprehensive, but rather provides the best of what NASA makes publicly available from a single point of presence on the web. Additionally, it is a living website, where new and archival images, video and audio files continually will be added. For more information about NASA’s activities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov [ANS thank NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Free Tours of Facilities at NASA's Glenn Research Center NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours and open house events will be held each month through October 2017. Tours are free for groups and individuals, but to guarantee admission, reservations are required. Visitor parking is also free. On the days of the tours, a bus departs from Glenn's main gate every hour, beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn's Gift Shop. (The historic district tours follow a different schedule. See tour schedule for details.) Glenn's 2017 Tour Schedule May 6, 2017 -- Historic District Tour Featuring the 10- by 10-Foot Wind Tunnel: Join us on a free tour of Glenn's recently established historic district. The tours feature the 10- by 10-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. For over 60 years, the wind tunnel has been used to conduct propulsion testing, including research for the Apollo program. June 3, 2017 -- NASA Glenn Hangar: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the NASA Glenn Hangar. See how aircraft at NASA Glenn are used to monitor algae blooms on Lake Erie and other waterways. July 8, 2017: SLOPE Laboratory: Explore locomotion on planets with a visit to the Simulated Lunar Operations, or SLOPE, Lab. See how rover components are tested for their ability to navigate and investigate planetary surfaces. Aug. 5, 2017 -- Photovoltaic Laboratory: See the light of solar cells with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Photovoltaic Laboratory. See how researchers are exploring ways to create energy from light in order to power everything from homes to spacecraft. Sept. 9, 2017 -- Zero-G Facility: Explore microgravity research of yesterday, today and tomorrow with a tour of Glenn's Zero-G Facility. Learn how dropping payloads over 400 feet can give researchers a glimpse into microgravity conditions. Oct. 7, 2017 -- Historic District Tour Featuring the 8- by 6-Foot Wind Tunnel: Join us on a free tour of Glenn's recently established historic district. The tours feature the 8- by 6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Built in 1946, the wind tunnel has contributed to decades of aeronautics research. Tours are open to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. To guarantee admission, reservations are required. For more information on tours and to make reservations, visit https://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/events/tours.html. Please direct questions about the tours to grc-dl-tours(a)mail.nasa.gov [ANS thanks NASA Education Express Message -- March 30, 2017 for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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